Football Game Preview: Delbarton Green Wave vs. Paramus Catholic Paladins

The Delbarton Green Wave will square off against the Paramus Catholic Paladins at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Delbarton will be strutting in after a win while Paramus Catholic will be coming in after a defeat.

Delbarton is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of New Jersey's top teams: DePaul Catholic, who was ranked eighth at the time (Delbarton was ranked ninth). The Green Wave put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 28-6 victory on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Green Wave, who have now won four contests by 21 points or more so far this season.

Matthew Tafuri

Rushing Touchdowns (Career)

10/25/25 vs DePaul Catholic	2
09/27/25 vs Seton Hall Prep	1
09/13/25 vs Monsignor Farrell	1
08/30/25 @ St. Edward	1
10/25/24 @ DePaul Catholic	1

Matthew Tafuri was his usual excellent self, rushing for 174 yards and a pair of scores on only 12 carries, while also picking up 51 receiving yards and one TD. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Girard Yoo also deserves some recognition as he hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Delbarton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 204 rushing yards. They are 2-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Paramus Catholic's offense. They had to suffer through a 28-0 loss at the hands of Don Bosco Prep. The Paladins have struggled against the Ironmen recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.

The win got Delbarton back to even at 4-4. As for Paramus Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.

Saturday's game might be decided on the ground. Delbarton has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Paramus Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 165.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Delbarton didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Paramus Catholic when the teams last played back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 17-13 victory. Do the Green Wave have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Paladins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.